267: Chapter 267 Leaping Over the Dragon Gate

As the words of the Ancestral Dragon fell, the entire Ancestral Court trembled gently.

Those dragon souls floating in the Void Realm bowed their heads in unison, looking toward Gao De.

Countless gazes fell upon him.

There was anticipation.

There was scrutiny.

There was gratification.

And there was a trace—a faint trace of anxiety.

As if asking: Could he truly do it?

Gao De was silent.

He was not hesitating.

He was simply feeling.

Feeling the gazes of these dragon souls, feeling the weight in the Ancestral Dragon's words, feeling that heavy—Legacy.

After a long while, he spoke:

"I am merely a Dragon Transformation from a Wuyue."

"My Bloodline is impure, and my origins are humble."

"What virtue or ability do I have to become the master of the Dragon Clan?"

The Ancestral Dragon laughed.

The smile was desolate yet relieved.

"Bloodline?" it said softly, "The Dragon Clan has never valued Bloodline."

"What the Dragon Clan values is the heart."

"It is the Dao."

"It is—whether one is willing to keep moving forward."

It looked around, observing those dragon souls.

"These old fellows, some have the True Dragon Bloodline, pure and perfect."

"Some have humble origins, just like you, transforming from fish to Dragon Transformation, and from Dragon Transformation to Dragon."

"But they all reached this place."

"Not because of Bloodline."

"It is because—they never gave up."

It looked at Gao De.

"You transformed from a Wuyue to a Dragon Transformation, from a Dragon Transformation to a Dragon, and from a Dragon, you realized the Dao."

"You walked through Dongting Lake, through the Marsh, through the Nine Netherworlds, through Xianyang, through Yangzhou, and through the East Sea."

"You killed the Heavenly Demon Cult Master, slew the Outer Realm Demonic Entities, and refined the seed of an evil god."

"You condensed your Dao Fruit, opened your inner world, and refined the prison dragon talisman."

"You reached this place—"

"Not because of Bloodline."

"It is because you are worthy."

Gao De was silent.

He suddenly remembered the scene from back then, at the bottom of Dongting Lake, when he first swallowed that dragon pearl fragment.

At that time, he was just a small fish, hiding in the silt, trembling in fear.

At that time, he had never imagined that one day, he would stand here.

Being watched by countless dragon souls.

Being called "worthy" by the Ancestral Dragon itself.

"I..." He wanted to say something, but he couldn't get it out.

The Ancestral Dragon waved its dragon claw.

"No need to say it," it said, "Your path, you must walk it yourself."

"We old fellows, we are just watching."

"Watching you walk even further."

It paused.

"However—"

"Before that, there is one more thing."

Gao De looked up.

The Ancestral Dragon said, "Have you heard of the Dragon Clan's supreme treasure?"

Gao De's heart stirred.

"The Dragon Gate?"

The Ancestral Dragon nodded.

"The Dragon Gate."

"The Dragon Clan's premier treasure."

"The ultimate pursuit of every member of the Dragon Clan."

It spoke slowly:

"Legend has it that if a fish leaps over the Dragon Gate, it can transform into a Dragon."

"But that is merely a mortal saying."

"The True Dragon Gate is not for fish to leap over."

"It is for Dragons—to leap over."

"Those who leap over the Dragon Gate will have their Bloodline reshaped, their Dao Fruit recast, and their inner world reopened."

"Those who leap over the Dragon Gate can glimpse—the Realm above the Dragon Transformation."

"Those who leap over the Dragon Gate can become—a True Dragon."

Gao De's pupils constricted slightly.

Above the Dragon Transformation?

A True Dragon?

"Where is the Dragon Gate?" he asked.

The Ancestral Dragon looked toward the depths of the Ancestral Court.

There, a flickering light appeared.

"It is right there," it said.

"The core of the Ancestral Court."

"The place where the Luck of the Dragon Clan has gathered for hundreds of millions of years."

"Where the Dragon Gate lies."

It looked at Gao De.

"Go."

"Go and try."

"See if you can—leap over it."

Gao De took a deep breath.

He turned and walked toward that light.

Behind him, countless dragon souls bowed their heads in unison.

As if seeing him off.

As if praying.

As if waiting for an answer—one that had been awaited for one hundred thousand years.

Deep within the light.

Stood a massive gate.

The gate was a thousand zhang high and five hundred zhang wide, constructed entirely of white jade.

On the gate was carved a massive dragon spiraling upward.

The massive dragon was lifelike, its dragon scales clearly defined, and its dragon eyes seemed to contain the supreme truths of the universe.

Above the lintel, two large characters—

"Dragon Gate"

The calligraphy was vigorous and ancient, yet exuded an indescribable majesty.

As if telling every Dragon that came here—

"Want to pass?"

"Give everything you have."

Gao De stood before the gate.

He gazed at that massive gate.

Gazing at the massive dragon spiraling on the gate.

That dragon was also gazing at him.

"Latecomer..."

An ancient and majestic voice emanated from within the gate.

"Do you know what it means to leap over the Dragon Gate?"

Gao De was silent for a moment.

"What does it mean?"

"It means—" the voice said, "Everything of your past will be washed away."

"Your Bloodline, your Dao Fruit, your inner world—"

"Will all be recast."

"After the recasting, you will still be you, yet you will no longer be you."

"Do you dare?"

Gao De was silent.

Dare he?

He remembered the silt at the bottom of Dongting Lake.

He remembered the fear of the first time he devoured a Yao Beast.

He remembered the Heavenly Tribulation during his Dragon Transformation.

He remembered the black fire in the Dragon Palace Secret Passage.

He remembered the battle at the Gui Xu Eye.

He remembered the look in the Ancestral Dragon's eyes before it died in Xianyang.

He remembered the madness of the Heavenly Demon Cult Master in Yangzhou.

He remembered the obsession of that Thunder Dragon deep in the East Sea.

He remembered the cry of the Mythical Dragon Son.

He remembered—

Everything he had walked through along this path.

He looked up.

Gazing at the Dragon Gate.

Gazing at the massive dragon on the gate.

"I dare," he said.

"Good," the voice said, "Then—come in."

The Dragon Gate slowly opened.

Behind the gate was endless golden light.

Gao De took a deep breath.

He took a step forward.

Stepping into the Dragon Gate.

BOOM—!!!

In that instant, Gao De felt his entire world crumbling!

His Bloodline was burning!

His Dao Fruit was shattering!

His inner world was collapsing!

Even his Dao Heart, tempered a thousand times, was wavering!

This was a true—recasting!

Not a repair, not a strengthening.

It was a complete shattering, a fresh start!

He gritted his teeth.

Not letting himself cry out.

He remembered the Ancestral Dragon's words:

"Give everything you have."

Good.

Then he would give everything.

He closed his eyes.

Letting the golden light wash over his body.

Washing over his Divine Soul.

Washing over everything he was.

He did not know how much time had passed.

Perhaps an instant, perhaps ten thousand years.

Gao De opened his eyes.

He found himself standing in the Void Realm.

There was nothing around him.

Only himself.

He looked down, examining his body.

The body was different from before.

His entire body flowed with a faint golden light, every scale crystalline and translucent, as if carved from the purest jade.

His dragon horns were longer, thicker, and more majestic.

His dragon claws were sharper, more powerful, and deadlier.

His dragon tail was longer, more flexible, and more agile.

He looked up.

Before him stood a figure.

It was himself.

Yet it was not.

It was a man wearing a golden dragon robe and a flat-topped imperial crown.

The man's face was exactly the same as the human form he had taken when he was young.

But those eyes—

Those eyes were incomparably ancient.

As if having seen all the vicissitudes of eternity.

"Who are you?" Gao De asked.

The man laughed.

"Me?" he said, "I am you."

"I am the you that you—should become after leaping over the Dragon Gate."

He raised his hand, pointing behind Gao De.

Gao De turned around.

He saw it.

Behind him was a vast, boundless world.

That world was larger than his previous inner world by who knows how many times.

There were mountains, water, sky, and earth.

There were the sun, moon, and stars, and there was wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.

There were countless living beings, multiplying and thriving within it.

In the center of that world was a massive black mountain range—

The Suppressing Prison mountain.

That was his inner world.

It was the inner world recast after leaping over the Dragon Gate.

A radius of—

Ten thousand li.

"This is..." he murmured.

The man said: "This is you."

"The true you after leaping over the Dragon Gate."

"From this day on, you are no longer a Dragon Transformation, no longer a Thunder Dragon, no longer—"

"You are a Dragon."

"A True Dragon."

"You are—" he smiled slightly, "The new Ancestral Dragon."

Gao De was silent.

After a long while, he asked: "Then what about you?"

The man said: "Me?"

"I am the past you."

"I am the you that started as a Wuyue."

"I am the you that trembled in fear at the bottom of Dongting Lake."

"I am the you that faced life and death during the Dragon Transformation."

"I am the you that walked all the way to today."

He raised his hand, gently pressing it on Gao De's shoulder.

"I must go."

"But you—"

"Will walk even better for me."

His figure gradually dissipated.

Transforming into countless golden light spots, merging into this world.

Merging into Gao De's body.

Merging into his Bloodline.

Merging into his Dao Heart.

Gao De closed his eyes.

Feeling all of that.

Feeling every footprint from the Wuyue to today.

Feeling those pains, those fears, those persistences, those—

Never giving up.

After a long while.

He opened his eyes.

In those eyes, there was no more confusion.

Only one thing—

Peace.

A true peace after experiencing everything.

He turned around.

Walking out of the Dragon Gate.

Outside the Dragon Gate.

The Ancestral Dragon and countless dragon souls were waiting.

Seeing Gao De walk out, all gazes fell upon him at the same time.

Then—

The Ancestral Dragon laughed.

That smile was the first true smile in one hundred thousand years.

"Good," it said, "Good."

"You leaped over."

Gao De nodded.

"I leaped over."

The Ancestral Dragon looked at him.

Looking at his calm eyes.

Looking at his reborn body.

Looking at his—

Ten thousand li inner world.

"From this day on," it said, "You are the master of the Dragon Clan."

"You are the new Ancestral Dragon."

It lowered its head.

That dragon head, arrogant for hundreds of millions of years, bowed for the first time to a junior—

Behind it, countless dragon souls bowed their heads in unison.

Ten thousand Dragons bowed.

Gao De stood among the ten thousand Dragons.

He looked up.

Looking toward the outside of the Ancestral Court.

There, Ao Xue was waiting.

There, Mythical Dragon Son was guarding.

There, was the Tongtian River, Dongting Lake, and the Yunmeng Great Marsh.

There, was every path he had walked.

There, also—

Behind the Outer Realm rift, was the sleeping Lord of Demonic Entities.

"Wait for me," he said softly.

"Very soon."

He took a step, walking outward.

Behind him, ten thousand Dragons raised their heads, watching him leave.

The Ancestral Dragon's voice sounded from behind:

"Latecomer—"

"Live well for us."

Gao De did not look back.

He merely waved his hand.

Then, he disappeared into the light.